Circle 99 wrote to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola regarding the behavior of Croatian MEPs

(Patria) - Circle 99 today sent a letter to the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

The letter, signed by the President of Circle 99, Adil Kulenović, is presented in its entirety:

"Dear Ms. Metsola,

We gladly accepted the invitation of the Chairman of the EU Delegation for Relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, Mr. Franz Romeo, for a fruitful exchange of views ahead of the upcoming SAPC EU-BiH meeting. The meeting was initiated by BiH citizens from the diaspora, and took place on March 5, 2024.

It was a rare opportunity to hear the other side within the EP institutions, the authentic voice of BiH citizens who, despite everything, nurture a culture of coexistence in diversity and understanding. The majority of participants in the discussion were members of the Association of Independent Intellectuals – Circle 99, a self-initiated civil society organization with a multi-ethnic membership since its founding 31 years ago in wartime Sarajevo. Our commitment to the European future of BiH is no less today than it was in the past. For us, European values have been and remain the 'roadmap' from Dayton to Brussels, from destructive ethno-nationalism to democracy and human rights.

Therefore, we thank you for this event and the opportunity to present our views and opinions which, we are convinced, reflect the much-desired and argued necessity of transitioning from a state of a dysfunctional country, an ethnically captured society, and a humiliated citizen, towards a modern European, prosperous Bosnian nation. This is also why we are submitting our introductory addresses from the online forum, wishing that you recognize in them our genuine and unpatronized aspiration for European values, peace, and a non-conflict society.

However, despite initial caution and expectations, we were unpleasantly surprised by the statement of MEP Ladislav Ilčić from the Republic of Croatia. His act of discrediting the participants and organizers of the forum due to the 'incidental' opportunity for free citizens of BiH to express their opinions outside the hegemonic narrative of Croatian representatives towards BiH, introducing political criteria for ethnic identity and the validity of the speech of some participants, is the reason for our greater concern. Especially since the discreditation continues today through Croatian media in the most primitive way (see at: https://www.vecernji.ba/vijesti/bosnjacka-lobistica-u-parlamentu-eu-suradivala-s-ruskim-spijunom-1752641).

Only from this distance do we see how important and great your effort and determination were to enable the right to speak for authentic and self-initiated visions of the state and future of BiH in the EU, outside the narrative imposed by elected representatives in the EP from the Republic of Croatia. That is why we are convinced that Mr. Romeo's panel was an exceptional opportunity to hear a different opinion from the one being promoted by Croatian MEPs.

Once again, we sincerely thank you."